Pilot-beam.



C. U. HOGEN.

.PILOT BEAM.

APPLIUATIDN FILED un. z, 1907.

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Patented July 13, 1909.

PILOT BEAM.

C. C. HOGEN.

APPLIGATION FILED MAB. 2, 190'?.

G. C. HOGEN.

PILOT BEAM.

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. a locomotive showing one embodiment of- UNITED s'rafrEs CHARLES n.noGEN, 0E CLEVELAND, onto.

rILoTEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

l APatented. July 13, 1909.

Application led Marchl2,.1907. Serial No. 360,136.

To all whom it may concern.'

1 3e it vknown that I, CHARLES C. HOGEN, a citlzen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and'` State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pilot-Beams, of which the following is a specilication, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to draw-gear `and particularly to draw-gear for locomotives..

It is the objectof the invention to overcome certain ditticulties, later to be described, that seein more or less inherent in the type of such gear at present in use on our"`rail Ways.

To the accomplishmentof this object said inventioniconsists of means hereinafter fully described and specilically pointed out in the claims. Y

The annexed drawings and the following descriptions set forth in detail certain means embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting but one of various 1nechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings: Figure 1 is a broken view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal cross-section, of the pilot end ot my improved construction; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal cross-seetinn of the same, taken on the line 2v2, Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a vertical 'transverse cross-section of the'same, taken on the line 3 3, Figsl and 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are respectivelya plan view and a vertical transverse cross-section ot a locomotive bumper beam of wood and showing the adaptation of my invention thereto.

In all locomotives, and particularly in switching locomotives, considerable difficulty has been encountered in devising means for satisfactorily coupling cars to the locomotives pilot end. This difficulty, particularly emphasized in the case of switching locomotives, arises in the first place from the relatively short wheel base, which causes the ends of the locomotive to extend beyond or 'overhang such base, and in` t-he second .place from the peculiar construction of the under frame of the locomotive 'and the forward boiler support, whereby the only practical attaching f the draw ar and coupler has been directly tothe transversely disposed bumper beam that forms the termi nal member of such frame. It is 'hence possible to provide for only a very limited pivotal movement of the coupler, that, for instance to be had within the confines of the coupler "pocket ordinarily 'provided inthe pilot beam for the reception of the coupler proper. A lateral swing of approximately ten inches `is the maximum that hashitherto been achieved in this prevailing type of constru'ction. This amount is scarcely suii'cie'nt to allowthe coupling to accommodate itself to the sharper curves of' the main line tracks and is altogether insufficient to serve in switching operations, where, as has been explained, engines of shorter wheel base and correspondingly greater overhang are em ployed, and where curves of much shorter radius are to be encountered. A constant source of annoyance hence exists arising from the frequent derailments and broken couplers incident to the employment of the present type of coupler.

It need scarcely be stated that I am fully aware of the use of push-bars, and of jointed pilot4 beams consisting of a plurality of pocket members mounted one Within theother. Aside from structural diliicult-ies in herent in both these types of draw-gear, they obviously do not permit el. the use of automatic coupling devices such as are now quite generally required by statutory enactment and as well as by humanitarian consideration. i

Referring then to Figs. 1, 2' and 3 of the.

drawings, A, A will be seen to designate the upper and lower longitudinal members, re-

as of a novel form designed especially for the 4 accommodation'of my improved pilot.v beam. Suchbeamis of hollow 'cast metal construe tion of substantially thesame dimensions as would be the case`were the prevailing, type of beam employed. Beam B yolitfersirom this prevailing type in that its central portion, as shown, that lying interrrediately the two frame membeIS A A and 'ivy 1s.

curved outwardly to conform with the 'are of a circle. The radius of such circle may` of ,course be varied, but oneot from eight to ten feet E.will usually prove desirable. This outwardly curved portion is i'urthe1 'pror vided withv a horizontal longitudinallyseX- tending slot Z in which is slidably mounted, transversely of the beam, a short bar C. Rigidly mounted upon the outer end of this bar is a draw-head or coupler pocket C', and

similarly mounted on the other, or rearwardly projecting end of-the bar is a plate C2. The inwardly directed surfaces of drawhead C and plate C2 are curved to conform respectively with the convex and concave faces of the curved beam portion against which they lie. By means of such'draw-head and plate, bar C which constitutes in effect the vpilot ,beam of the locomotive, is retained against endwise movement in slot b of the bumper beam, but is free to move' from one extremity of said slot to the other. Clearly the effect of the movement described, so :tar as radius of swing is concerned, is the same as though the pilot beam were actually equal in length to the radius of curvature of the portion of' the` bumper beam in question. In order that the draw bar may be thus variously positioned without inconvenience or danger to the brakeman two shafts D,v bearing hand Wheels d are vertically mounted in bumper beam B, one on each side ofv the vaforesaid central curved portion. UponI the lower ends of each such shaft D, but' lying within bumper beam B is mounted a sprocket wheel or pocketed shea-ve d about which passes .a broken chain D. The ends of this chain are attached by means of suitable clevises d2 to opposite sides of the drawhead or coupler pocket C', and a turn-buckle 'd3 or the like is inserted in the straight f stretch ol the chain extending between the L two sheaves df, whereby the tension of such 'cham may be suitably adjusted as occasion "arises Sheaves d', as also opening b through "whichthe chain is admitted within the holvlow beam, are all located below the level of the walls formin slot b, so that the stretch of cable above re erred to may be wholly oontained within such beam also.

Running boards or platformsl E are supported from brackets E attached to the underside of beam B, and as will be evident from an'inspection of F ig. l, a brake-man standing on any one of these platforms will Ihave a hand wheel d within easy reach by a simplel tu'rn of which the draw bar of the engine can be swung to register with the draw-bar or' the car to be coupled whether such car is standing upon a straight or curved section of track.

The particular type of. coupler employed in conjunction with my im roved beam construct-ion is a matter of jindifference; that chosen for the purpose on illustration is one .draw-head with a registering of the approvedtypes of automaticcoupler such actuation of lever C3 be had a shaft C4 is mounted longitudinally of bumper beam B and upon its upper side, sach shafthaving its respective ends inclosed and jour`- naled in tubes, or pipe sections, o2, supported by standards 3, such tubes serving' as hand vrails for thebrake-man standing on platform E. The portion of shaft C* intermediate of tubes 2 lies beneath lever C3 and is bent so as .to form a crank. Rotation of such shaft, which may be effected from either end by means of handles 0*, will actuate the lever in the manner described,

The operation of the above described iinproved pilot beam, it is thought, will be sulfciently obvious from the description of the operation of its several parts incidental to the preceding description of their structure.-

Suchbeam, it is also thought, is sufficient-ly illustrative of the general principles involved in my improved drawgear, to render it unnecessary here to notice all the numerous modifications of which it may be susceptible or which may be necessary to adapt it to other types of locomotives than that here assumed, much more to rolling stock other than locomotives. Qnly a single such modilication has hence been illustrated. in the drawings, Figs. i and 5. The mode ot construction there disclosed illustrates one approved adaptation ofmy device to a wooden bumper beam such as is lirequeinzly found especially in switching engines. rl`he curved portion is4 here built up by the application of castings F, F having respectively a con- Vex and concaveouter tace, to the front and back of the 'beam F2. Fitted to the rear casting F is a complemental plate ,1 and to `the front casting a draw head f of anyv approved character. A heavy vstrap f2 passes around plate f and has its 'ends at tached to draw head f', whereby there is formedl in eil'ect a rigid structure or iframe corresponding to the draw bar of the above described construction like it slidably mounted on a curved beam portion. To assist in 'sustaining the draw-head, weighted down as it is with the, coupler, plate F is preferably tormed,`with a tongue f3 andthe groove f". Mechanism similar to that in Figs. l, 2, and 3 is obviously capable of use 'with this construction of' pilot beam for positioning i the4 same upon the beam and for operating the coupler roper. f

Other mo es of applying vthe my `invention may be employe yinstead of the onevexplai'ned, change ein made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, pro-l vided the means stated by any one of the following claims or the equivalent ofsuch stated means-be employed. y

'I therefore particularly point out and 4dis- .tinctly claim as myinventlon':

1. In a locomotive orthe like, the oom bination with a transversely dis osed beam, of a coupler slidably mounted t ereon, said coupler being otherwise unsupported, so as' 4to have a motion of translation therealong.

2. In a locomotive or the like, the combination with a transversely disposed beam, having a portion' curved outwardly v-to conform with the arc of a circle, of a coupler slidably mounted-upon and wholly supporti ed by such curved beam portion, so as to have a motion of translation'therealong.

. .3. In a locomotive or `the like, the combination of the vehicle Yframe, a: transversely disposed bumper beam secured to the end of l said frame, said beam having its central por# tion curved outwardly to conform with thev rinciple of arc of a circle, a bar mountedfon said-beam cave an convex `faces of' suchg-curvpgdpor- `tion, said barl being wholly suppo by Asaid beam so as t /have a motion'of translaouter end of said bar.'

v disposed bumpe said frame, said beam having its central-.portion curved .outwardlyto conform with the arc of a circle, Aand such central portion being formed with a ,horizontalV longitudinally extendingslot, a bar. lying in said slot, a draw-head mounted on the outer end of said bar, and a late mounted on the inner end thereof, sai draw-head and 4plate serving to retain said bar in said slot and having their-inwardly directal surfaces rpectively curvedtb'conform with theoonvex and concavenfaces of such curved beam-,portion 1907.v y CHARLES C. HQGEN. Atteste'd blD. T. living,v

JNO. F; OBEBLIN,

andA ada ted to bear 'upon the'opposritefcontion therealong,'anda coupler by the g i '4. In a'locom'otive or' the like, the com-l i bination'of the vehicle frame, a transversely' r beam secured to'the endfof Signedbyine` this 28th day of February," f 

